


A Serious Sorting

by padfootdreams



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 19:51:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20569937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/padfootdreams/pseuds/padfootdreams
Summary: Sirius Black's first days at Hogwarts weren't fun...





	A Serious Sorting

Most of the young witches and wizards were staring wide-eyed up at the great castle across the lake. The boats they were sitting in glided effortlessly across the black water. The red-haired girl from the train seemed especially awestruck, wondering aloud to her hook-nosed friend from the train how _exactly_ the boats were able to move forward. Sirius Black overheard this and concluded that she’d probably never heard about the _Malakoff Spell_ for water circulation, then grimaced to himself as he remembered why she hadn´t heard about any magic at all. Of all the children, his attention alone wasn´t focused on the beautiful view before them. No, Sirius Black was worried, and rightly so. His mother would be in fits if she could see him sitting next to a mudblood, knowing he had spoken to one.

He had heard his parents talking some weeks ago, they had been considering sending him to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts. The new headmaster Albus Dumbledore had altered a lot of the old rules, diminishing the privileges of pureblood wizards and he was firm in his demands to the School Board that all students should be treated equal, regardless of their blood status. “Preposterous”, Walburga Black had scoffed, “As if these filthy muggles had the same rights as us”. She had shook her head contemptuously, the black curls that framed her pale face and grey eyes moving like snakes, Sirius had thought. He had spoken up then, from where he was standing in the doorway to the sitting room: “But Mother, they have magic surely, or they wouldn’t have been admitted”. He had payed dearly for this, clutching his reddened cheek where she had slapped him, begging her not to send him to Russia, Durmstrangs, then he wouldn’t be able to see his cousins. It was mostly Andromeda, his oldest cousin, he thought of, the others he could do without. Walburga Black had not even blinked at that, but went on telling her son what a disappointment he was, and that “children should be seen but not heard”. Walburga Black wondered for a moment why she always had such trouble reprimanding her older son, that boy was far too outspoken for his own good, intelligent, yes but not smart. In the end Sirius's father had put a stop to her monologue, deciding that the Black heir would go to Hogwarts after all, to uphold the family tradition. Sirius had got a stern talking to at Kings Cross this morning, not to talk to mudbloods or blood traitors, how his future depended on good grades… Sirius had tuned out the rest of it, to be honest.

Meanwhile the boats had reached the shore, they walked through an underground harbour, and the new students followed the giant man from the station up uneven stone steps and through the castle gates. They paused for a while in the entrance hall, apparently waiting for the right moment to enter the Great Hall. A tall witch, in emerald robes, and with her dark hair pinned on top of her head, came out to greet them.

“Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry” she said, her voice stern. “My name is Minerva McGonagall and I will be managing your Sorting today. Sirius imagined she would be a very strict teacher. Not as strict as his latest tutor, he hoped. Through his robes he could still feel the welt at his elbow where an enchanted ruler had stuck him last week when he had failed to answer a question about the Goblin Wars. But she had something soft about her mouth, as if she could easily smile, so she might or be so bad, Sirius thought. 

As they all trooped after her, a loud cheering met them. They walked forwards to front of the staff table where a three-legged stool stood, upon which sat an old, and very worn wizard hat. Sirius had heard all about the Sorting Ceremony from his older cousins, he wasn’t nervous, not exactly. It was just that for these few wonderful hours on the train, he had been able to pretend that he wasn’t the Black heir, that he wasn’t going to spend the next seven years in Slytherin, along his nasty cousins and the rude boy from the train. He had allowed himself to think, for these short hours, that he could go to Gryffindor with James Potter, and the other two boys he had met on the train. They had been friendly to him, even if James hadn’t completely been able to hide his surprise when Sirius revealed his surname, a good hour into the journey, as Remus Lupin came into the compartment, insisting on a formal handshake. “But, you’re… so nice”, James had said lamely, an awkward glint in his brown eyes.

After the Sorting Hat had finished its (very silly song, Sirius thought ) _Avery, Jason_, went directly into Slytherin and then _Becker Amelia_, to Ravenclaw…

Sirius walked proudly to the stool, his back straight, every inch of his pureblood upbringing showing, his cloak meticulously draped over his shoulders, drawing in a deep breath as Professor McGonagall put the hat over his head. It was dark, and slightly smelly, Sirius thought.

“ Not very polite, after all, Mr Black”. Sirius almost jumped off the stool in surprise at the voice in his ear. “Did you not listen to the song, I am a thinking hat, and as such I can also read your thoughts”. Sirius couldn’t help to be fascinated by it, and started to wonder how it had been made, what spell would enable…

“Hmm, Ravenclaw, perhaps. They would be lucky to have such a brain as yours, or..” when he noticed Sirius scepticism “ perhaps you are wishing to join the rest of your family in Slytherin, not that the obvious choice is always the most fitting… I don’t care for these idiots, Sirius thought angrily, although Andy is alright, he amended. “I remember sorting her on her first day, Ravenclaw I suggested, but she asked for Slytherin like the Blacks always do.” Sirius traitorous brain then set off going through the reasons he didn’t want to end up with his family members. He’d had enough of harsh words and insults already, during his first eleven years, thank you. I just hope they leave Reg alone. If he did it, getting sorted into the wrong house, nothing his brother could do would surely be as bad? Maybe then his parents would finally leave their younger son alone.

“Protecting him, despite the consequences” the hat interrupted Sirius thoughts. He only now noticed that the Hall had grown full of impatient whispers, _twenty minutes_, someone said. _What was wrong with the Black heir? Why hadn't he been sorted yet?_

“Well then” the Hat said, “it better be, _Gryffindor! _” The Hall immediately went quiet. The Headmaster who had up till then politely clapped for each sorted student sat immobile in his chair. In fact, nobody clapped at all. Sirius was still sitting on the stool as McGonagall removed the hat from his head. His pale face was frozen in shock. He flinched slightly as the witch put her hands on his shoulders. “It seems that you will join my house, Mr Black, the Gryffindor table is that way” she said, steering him in the right direction.

Sirius didn’t dare glancing at the Slytherin table where his cousins were sitting. But then he heard James Potters cheer “Way to go Sirius! “and he was shaken out of his daze, walked over and sat down right at the edge of the table next to an older boy wearing a prefect badge. The adolescent introduced himself as Frank Longbottom. “I’m Sirius… Black” he managed to say, his voice sounded weird in his ears. “But I suppose you already know that”, he added weakly

“Welcome to the best of houses” Frank said kindly. “Even if this was a bit of a surprise, seeing as the rest of your family is sitting over there”, he nodded to the Slytherin table.

“They have never been happy with me, and now I guess we know why”, Sirius said, sounding calm, but inside him a cold dread was spreading throughout his body. In the last hundred years, no Black had been sorted into any other house than Slytherin, and Sirius could bet on his racing broom not a single one of them had ended up in Gryffindor since Hogwarts was founded. 

It wasn’t until later, when James, Remus and Peter had joined him at the Gryffindor table, that he was able to shake off his dark mood for a while. 

“We all made it” James laughed happily, thumping his fist to Sirius back. “Cheers to that”. The four of them clinked their goblets of pumpkin juice together and Sirius Black dared to think that maybe, maybe it would be alright.

Sirius didn’t sleep that night, despite being exhausted. “Blood traitor” his cousin Bellatrix had hissed in his ear as they headed through the entrance hall after the feast. “Your parents will hear about this”, her sister Narcissa had said coming up next to her. Sirius lay in bed pondering her words. Exactly how would his parents react, that was the question. At last, at six in the morning, a whispered time charm told him, he gave up and headed for the showers. He was sitting in the common room, reading a Charms book by the time the rest of the first-year boys turned up at eight o'clock. “Good Morning", he greeted them.

James was yawning, his hair sticking out in several directions “Well you’re an early bird”. Sirius refrained from telling them he hadn’t slept at all. What he had dreaded, the consequences of his Sorting, happened as the post came. The big, dark family owl swooped down towards him as they had sat down for breakfast at the Gryffindor table, bearing a red envelope in its beak. Sirius considered for a moment whether it would be best taking the letter and run outside, but it was already smoking and shaking as it lay on top of his mostly untouched butter toast. His lifted his shivering hands and opened it.

“Sirius Black” his mother’s voice screamed at him, and at the rest of the Great Hall. “ You are such a disgrace, I couldn’t believe it when the news reached me yesterday! Your father and I have half a mind sending you to Durmstang this instant, better than to stay with these Mudbloods, blood traitors and the rest of the degenerates! You will be regretting this when you come home for Christmas… “ Here his mother broke off, no doubt tempted to specify exactly how, but then went on: “I always knew there was something wrong with you, boy. We will talk to the Headmaster about this, I expect you to meet us tomorrow when we do…"

The letter had turned into flames, combusted by the sheer anger in the message, Sirius doubted his mother had finished as her screaming fits usually lasted longer. 

The hall had grown silent and Sirius abruptly stood up, downing the last of his pumpkin juice while watching his toast turn into charcoal by the still burning letter on his plate.

“ I don’t feel hungry anymore. See you in Charms” he said and quickly walked outside.

James caught up to him in the entrance hall, seething with anger. “How can she do that? My father always said she was an absolute hag, but that… “

“Can we talk about something else, please” Sirius said, waving his Charms book around. “I skimmed it through this morning and I couldn’t find a single charm I don’t already know, we will probably learn floating charms today, I did those when I was eight”.

James waved his wand _Wingardium Leviosa _and Sirius’s Charms book was suddenly floating towards the ceiling. “Doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of fun, don’t be so _serious_”. Sirius answered by tackling him with in shoulder before waving his wand at the book, sending it back to the ground. “Really, Potter, that charm? Don’t worry, we will find some more interesting charms in the library, then we can talk about real fun”.


End file.
